By NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Associated Press

The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday asked two federal judges to order the Trump administration not to deport any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law, contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s restrictions on how it can use the act.

The group has already sued to block deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center and is asking a judge to issue an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the law. In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang that would make them subject to President Donald Trump’s use of the act.

The act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status.

Related Articles

Trump to invoke Schedule F to make it easier to fire some federal workers

Trump turns a COVID information website into a promotion page for the lab leak theory

IRS whistleblower on Hunter Biden is out as acting commissioner just days after getting the job

Video shows doctor with measles treating kids. RFK Jr later praised him as an ‘extraordinary’ healer

Maryland senator is returning to US after pushing for Abrego Garcia’s release and meeting with him

The ACLU and the group Democracy Forward sued to halt deportations under the act. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed deportations to resume, but ruled unanimously they could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given “a reasonable time” to contest their pending removals.

Federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court. But there’s been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is located 24 miles north of the city of Abilene in the far northern end of the state.

District Judge James Wesley Hendrix this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because ICE filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported.

But the ACLU’s Friday filing includes sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet were given paperwork indicating they were members of Tren de Aragua and could be deported by Saturday. In one case, immigration lawyer Karene Brown said her client, identified by initials and who only spoke Spanish, was told to sign papers in English.

“ICE informed F.G.M. that these papers were coming from the President, and that he will be deported even if he did not sign it,” Brown wrote.

The ACLU asked Hendrix to issue a temporary order halting any such deportations. Later on Friday, with no response from Hendrix, the ACLU asked District Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington to issue a similar emergency order, saying they had information that detainees were being loaded on buses. Boasberg is the judge who originally ruled on the first Alien Enemies Act case, and found there’s probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt by disobeying his ruling, only to see the Supreme Court rule that only judges where migrants are being held have jurisdiction to halt their removal.

ICE said it would not comment on the litigation.

Also on Friday, a Massachusetts judge made permanent his temporary ban on the administration deporting immigrants who have exhausted their appeals to countries other than their home ones unless they are informed of their destination and given a chance to object if they’d face torture or death there.

Some countries, like Venezuela, do not accept deportations from the United States, which has led the Trump administration to strike agreements with other countries like Panama to house them. Venezuelans subject to Trump’s Alien Enemies Act have been sent to El Salvador and housed in its notorious main prison.

The national analysts across the country are singing a familiar tune heading into this first-round series: Lakers in six or seven games.

That’s not surprising. Los Angeles has two sure-fire Hall of Famers in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and the Lakers are the No. 3 seed with home-court advantage. Minnesota, meanwhile, won 17 of its final 21 regular-season games to nab the No. 6 seed, it’s fair to poke holes in the incredibly soft schedule that contributed to that run.

So the Lakers it is, at least in the minds of many. That’s fine by Minnesota.

“I just love it. It’s dope,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”

That’s fine by Minnesota.

The reality is Minnesota can win. The Wolves feature one of the most talented, physical rosters in the NBA capable of beating anyone on any given night. Still, much will be required to oust the Lakers in a best-of-seven series.

Here are Minnesota’s keys to victory.

Balanced offense

The common playoff narrative is that star players must produce for their teams to advance. That’s true for the Wolves in the sense that leading scorers Edwards and Julius Randle need to make a positive impact if Minnesota is to down Los Angeles. But that impact may not always come in the form of points.

Wolves players this week acknowledged the Lakers will do everything in their power to get the ball out of Edwards’ hands. Edwards has noted his teammates have to be ready, and confident, when he finds sets them up to make shots.

Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley must take turns knocking down outside shots and attacking closeouts to make Los Angeles pay for its heavy attention on Edwards. Randle also will be a natural candidate to receive some of those passes, but he can’t get caught in an isolation game against any of the Lakers’ sturdy wings.

Ball and player movement will be especially critical against Los Angeles’ lengthy, organized defense.

“I think a lot of it is going to be trying to create distortion by drive and kick,” said veteran point guard Conley. “Moving the basketball, trying to get them moving a little bit. Because they do load up they do create a lot of help situations where they’re not just relying on the on-ball defender to get the stop. They’re relying on the gap help and the guy behind them, so for us it’s about being fast, being quick with our decisions, pushing the ball, getting out and really just trying to put a lot of pressure on the paint and make them have to move.”

Make Luka work

Speaking of making players move, that’s something Minnesota didn’t well enough in last year’s West Finals, specifically pertaining to Doncic on the defensive end. He was largely allowed to rest defensively while cooking the Wolves on the other end.

In fairness to Wolves coach Chris Finch and Co., Minnesota doesn’t have a bevy of perimeter isolation players on offense like, say, Boston. But there are ways to make Doncic work more defensively.

“I think it’s activity. We’ve got to play way more in transition than we have done against these guys, I think. Just play with a lot more activity on and off the ball,” Finch said. “There’s lots of things that you can do. I think it’s one of those marginal gains that you’ve got to do across the board, that you’ve got to do with every little thing that you do. And that’s how you can kind of make these guys work a little bit harder.”

Run Wolves, run

Much of the talk this week centered on Minnesota’s readiness to defend the Lakers’ home-run passes for easy transition layups. But the Wolves may need to be just as aggressive in getting out on the fast break.

Minnesota was 9 for 12 from the field in fast-break opportunities in its only matchup against the Luka Lakers on Feb. 27, with 23 points coming in transition. Aside from that, the Wolves shot 36% from the field.

Minnesota didn’t have Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert in that game, but the point stands that the Lakers’ length could give the Wolves offense fits in the half court. Any easy buckets the Wolves can nab could go a long way toward edging Los Angeles in the end.

A big Gobert

Gobert was Minnesota’s second-best — and perhaps most important — player over the final quarter of the regular season. The same will need to be true if Minnesota is to prevail in this first-round series.

As previously mentioned, the Lakers may have the defensive personnel and discipline to limit Minnesota’s offensive effectiveness. And they may simply have too many shot creators in Doncic, James and Austin Reaves for the Wolves to entirely shut down their offense.

So, Minnesota will likely have to win the possession game. That’s done, largely, by controlling the glass. Gobert has to be in the teens with his game-to-game rebounding totals, grabbing at least a few offensive rebounds a game while limiting the Lakers’ second-chance attempts on the other end.

Stay composed

There have been numerous times in recent years in which the Wolves seemed to unravel because of disputes with officiating. That could come to a head in this series. Edwards had to miss a game because of his volume of technical fouls this season, and the NBA had to step in to keep him from missing two.

The Lakers were third in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game this season. Doncic and Reeves are excellent at getting to the line.

Los Angeles also surrendered the seventh-fewest free-throws per game this season (20.4). Minnesota allowed the sixth fewest.

Should a few borderline calls go the Lakers’ way, will Minnesota manage to keep its composure?

“I think there’s a lot of things that you’ve got to do to stay focused right now,” Finch said. “We can’t control that. As a team we’ve done a better job down the stretch here of just getting on about the business of basketball, and that’s what it’s got to be.”

Edwards made the following declaration: “I won’t get no techs. I won’t say anything. I’m gonna be super quiet, 100 percent.”

Prediction

Lakers in 7 — Minnesota may very well win this series thanks to its depth, physicality and ability to hit open triples. But to do so, it’s going to have to prove itself in some tight spots against two of the players with earned reputations as athletes who are built for such environments.

Related Articles

Can Anthony Edwards out-think the Lakers? Timberwolves’ playoff hopes depend on it

Will Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert struggle against Lakers’ small-ball lineup?

Julius Randle struck offensive balance in Minnesota. Will that be better playoff formula?

Schedule set for Timberwolves-Lakers first-round series

The Timberwolves have week to prepare for Lakers. Do they have the proper data?

A World Tai Chi Day event is returning to Stillwater on April 26 to help raise money for the library and teach attendees about tai chi.

The family-friendly outdoor event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon rain or shine. It is hosted by Healing Within Acupuncture and Wellness Studio and will take place at the Stillwater Public Library terrace at 224 Third St. N. It includes different tai chi styles led by tai chi instructors from the area. Indoor seated tai chi also will be available.

No experience is necessary and the event is free to attend or observe.

Instructor Mary McDonald will lead several easy-to-follow movements for seated tai chi, which is ideal for those who are new to it, have mobility issues or are recovering from health issues.

Healing Within Studio will collect donations. Donations, along with T-shirt sales, will support Stillwater Public Library Foundation.

To donate directly to the library, go to stillwaterlibraryfoundation.org/ways-to-give. For more information, email hello@healingwithinacupuncture.com.

Related Articles

How to enjoy the natural and urban gems of the Pacific Northwest — even when your time is limited

Is he Christ? Is he Moses? Superman’s religious and ethical undertones add to his mystique

How to catch the shooting stars of spring’s first meteor shower, the Lyrids

State lawmakers take aim at ‘black market’ restaurant reservations

Airlines are adding new routes. Here’s how you can save

St. Paul police and school staff have found four guns inside or near two high schools in a week’s span, the police department said Friday.

Two of the cases happened Thursday: At Humboldt High School on Baker Street, a 13-year-old was located with a gun; and outside Harding High School on East Sixth Street, police arrested a 15-year-old who had a gun and who’d made threats against the school, said Sgt. Toy Vixayvong, a St. Paul police spokesman.

Last Friday, April 11, police found two guns in a student’s backpack inside Harding, Vixayvong said.

There had been no previous instances of guns found on St. Paul Public Schools property this school year; last school year five guns were discovered, said school district spokesperson Erica Wacker.

St. Paul police and the school district provided this information about the recent incidents:

Harding

On Thursday, just before 2:10 p.m., police received a report that a student might be armed outside Harding. He had not been on school property but he made threats to show up at the school with a gun, Vixayvong said.

Police searched and found the 15-year-old student, who had a gun, in a wooded area near the Harding Arena, Vixayvong said. He was arrested.

Earlier Thursday, at about 9:40 a.m., police were told that a different Harding student made a video with a gun and sent it to another student as a threat, said Alyssa Arcand, a St. Paul police spokeswoman. Police checked the student and found no gun.

Additional security measures were taken at the school on Thursday, Principal Tony Chlebecek wrote to parents.

Last week at Harding, the school notified police about 9 a.m. April 11 that a 15-year-old student had posted himself on social media holding a gun, Vixayvong said. Staff brought the student to the office and searched him, but did not find a gun. They checked surveillance video and saw he’d handed a backpack to a female student.

A search of the female student’s locker turned up a backpack with two guns inside, one of which was stolen, Vixayvong said. Police arrested the 15-year-old male. The other student said she didn’t know there were guns in the bag.

“No threats were made and no one was injured,” Chlebecek wrote in a letter to parents about that case.

Humboldt

Related Articles

Idaho police release body camera video of nonverbal and autistic teen’s fatal shooting

Students at Florida State gather at memorials, prepare to retrieve belongings after deadly shooting

Farmington man repeatedly stabbed his wife amid cheating accusations, charges say

Inver Grove Heights mom spared jail after 3-year-old son shot brother with her gun

The Menendez brothers’ bid for a shorter sentence and possible release is delayed again

Police were notified around 3 p.m. Thursday about the situation at Humboldt. Earlier, staff searched a student’s backpack and found an empty holster, and they dismissed him for the day, Vixayvong said.

Staff received a tip that another student, a 13-year-old, had the gun and they found it in his backpack, according to Vixayvong. Police arrested him.

The other student had reportedly asked the 13-year-old to hold onto the gun for him. The 14-year-old turned himself in to police Thursday night, Arcand said.

Humboldt Principal Valerie Littles-Butler wrote to parents that there had not been threats made in the case.

Both she and Chlebecek also wrote: “I can’t stress enough for all members of our … community to say something if you see or hear any safety concerns. If you have any weapons in your home, make sure they are safely stored and not accessible.”